Winter Flights Planned

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 1

Winter Flights Planned

After completing the second mid-winter air evacuation of a seriously ill seaman from the Antarctic, the United States Navy is prepared to make at least two mid-winter flights a year —of when the National Science Foundation requests them.

Rear-Admiral F. E. Bakutis, commander of the United States Navy Antarctic support force, who went on the flight partly to gain first-hand knowledge of what was involved, said that provided proper precautions were taken such flights were possible. Petty Officer R. L. Mayfield, who was taken to Christchurch Hospital after the Hercules landed at Christchurch airport at 2.15 a.m. yesterday from McMurdo Sound, underwent a successful operation on his ruptured bladder. His condition was reported to be fairly satisfactory. Petty Officer .Mayfield will remain at Christchurch while he is convalescing. Later he will return to the United States for reassignment.

“This whole mission was carried out superbly in every detail,” said Admiral Bakutis “It shows that mid-winter flights can be made. They would not be flown by green

pilots, only by hand-picked, experienced fliers,.” Admiral Bakutis said weather was the key for such flights. The ski-way on the Ross Ice Shelf was in excellent condition and should remain so. The men at McMurdo Station who had prepared it had done an incredible job. “Once they had clear weather, they promised they could have it ready for a plane to land in 72 hours. The weather wasn’t exactly good when they started and 1 have nothing but admiration for their wonderful effort,” he said. Admiral Bakutis said that next winter there would be two flights—one about mid-

June, the other late in August. Ski-equipped Hercules aircraft would be used for both. However, as he intimated at the end of last season, sooner or later a CI4IA jet would make an experimental flight to McMurdo Station. Admiral Bakutis said the landing at McMurdo Sound, when the Hercules let down by G.C.A. equipment, was “real smooth.” “There was a crowd from the base and New Zealanders from over the hill. We were only sorry we couldn’t stay longer and meet everyone, but time was precious,” he said. “The only, weird feature of the flight was the way the moon seemed to be following us around. We saw it begin

to set, and then watched it rise again. The summit of Mount Erebus was clearly visible in the moonlight” he said.

Admiral Bakutis praised the willing co-operation of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Navy. While many of the crew slept for much of yesterday. Admiral Bakutis, who was up at 7.30 a.m., telephoned one of his New Zealand friends for a game of tennis early in the afternoon. “After flying 22,600 miles in 51 hours, I needed a game of tennis to shake the cobwebs out,” he said. The Hercules left Christchurch at 8 p.m. yesterday to return to the United States.